Night of the Jaeger
by AdrienneBuchanon
Summary: Steve Rogers and Bucky Barnes are hotshot Jaeger pilots until tragedy strikes. Now, five years later, Steve's co-pilot is Tony Stark and things are going well. Until a mysterious Russian Jaeger pilot shows up who isn't drift compatible with anyone. Steve is forced to choose between his past and his present. His obligations to the world and the memory of his best friend.
1. Chapter 1

Night of the Jaeger

Prologue: In the year 2017 giant monsters known as Kaiju emerged from the depths of the ocean and attacked humanity. The world pooled their resources to create the Jaeger program, helmed by Shield. Jaegers are anthropomorphic war machines designed for one reason and one reason only, killing Kaiju. Jaegers must be operated by two pilots. The mental toll is too great for just one person. In order to work together pilots must be drift compatible. The stronger the bond, the better the fighter. While fighting the two pilots are connected in the drift. They take in their co-pilots every thought and memory. Together they protect humanity from monsters.

Ch. 1

2020\. Year 3 of the Kaiju War. Alaskan Coastline.

A lone figure sloshes through the shallows of the Alaskan coastline. This figure is 25 stories tall. Forged from iron and steel. It is covered in paintings, almost like tattoos on metal. Roses surround the names Peggy and Mom. Dad sat under a surprisingly realistic rusted anchor. In the place of honor on the bicep was a wolf operating a machine gun and underneath the words "Howling Commando", the name of the machine. Steve Rogers and Bucky Barnes walked in total unison. Their neural handshake was one of the strongest in Shield. They piloted their Jaeger toward Anchorage.

"Director Fury, this is Howler. We are 5 clicks south of Anchorage."

"Copy. Rogers." Director Fury said. "Just keep your eyes open." Bucky nearly choked trying not to laugh. "Leatherback was last reported heading south."

"Copy." Steve said. He switched off the comlink and glared at Bucky.

" Are you trying to get us grounded?"

"I'm sorry." Bucky said. "But eyes open? Was he trying to be funny?"

"The man lost an eye Buck."

"You thought it was funny too." Bucky tapped his helmet near his temple. "I know."

"Fine. Just keep it together. I'm turning the link back on." Steve said.

"Roger Rogers."

"You're the worst. "Steve said. He switched the link back on.

"-Howler do you—kkck—Can you—it's heading—"

"Fury? Fury!" Bucky said.

Eerie quiet filled the cockpit. There was no crackle from the comlink, all of the humming instruments and flashing lights seemed to stop for a moment. Bucky and Steve turned Howler around. Skin and scales and teeth filled their eyeline. The Kaiju was so immense that it was impossible for your eyes to gain purchase on it. Every time your eyes settled on a point and your brain tried to process what you were seeing, your eyes were already skittering away to another point like a pebble on a frozen pond.

"Shit!" Bucky yelled.

Howler dropped into a fighting stance. The kaiju, Leatherback, took no notice. It extended its claws, dripping with venom. Leatherback swiped at Howler. Howler jumped back but Leatherback still managed t graze Howler's chassis.

Howler swung at Leatherback. It connected with a solid hit that rocked Leatherback back on its heels. Does this thing have heels? The thought passed between Bucky and Steve instantaneously, neither of them sure from whom it had originated.

They followed this with another blow that drove Leatherback's face into the water. Leatherback rolled over onto its back. Howler blasted it with a plasma cannon. Blood and bile gushed from a gaping wound on Leatherback's stomach. A fatal blow, but it would take a while for the monster to bleed out. They needed to hit it again. They waited for the plasma cannon to be warmed up enough to shoot again.

Leatherback swipes at Howler's knees, knocking them out from underneath it's upper body. Howler crashes onto its back. Leatherback climbs on top of Howler and claws at its head. A crack opens in the cockpit. Water gushes in, soaking Steve. He spits water out but it comes faster than he can keep up with. He's drowining despite not being under water.

Steve makes a choked noise that Bucky remembers all too well. He jerks his arm and the torrent of water slows. He remembers that choking sound from when they were kids. Steve was always sick as a kid. Both of their mothers worked, so they left the boys together. The mothers thought it was so Steve could keep Bucky out of trouble, but it was actually the other way around. Steve had lung problems. Sometimes Bucky would stay up all night listening to Steve struggle to breath. Once the breathing stopped and-

"Bucky!" Steve screamed, snapping Bucky out of the memory. "Don't chase the rabbit."

Bucky wrestled his way back to the present. The screen showing their link was dead. Together they experimentally tried to move one of Howler's arms. It didn't work. The kaiju continued to pound away on Howler. They were protected for now, but they were immobile. Dead in the water.

Steve tried the comlink again. "Helicarrier, this is Howler. We have slipped out of alignment. Re-initiate neural handshake now."

Nothing happened.

"Helicarrier. We are immobilized. Do you read?" Steve yelled.

Nothing.

"Fury! Banner! Do something!" Bucky yelled.

"Kcck-kcuck-Howler. This is Fury. Say again."

"Initiate neural handshake. We are out of alignment."

"Godd-"Fury began.

"Just do it!" Bucky screamed.

There was silence. Then the screen in front of them whirred to life displaying their separate brains.

"Right hemisphere engaged." Steve said.

"Left hemisphere engaged." Bucky said.

The screen showed their two brains overlapped into a single consciousness.

"Okay Buck. Should we give 'em the razzle dazzle?" Steve said.

Bucky groaned. "You're such a square Steve. It's called the Skrull Thrasher, how many times do I—"

The kaiju ripped though the cockpit, completely obliterating Bucky's side and immobilizing Steve. Claws dragged Bucky underwater.

"Bucky. Bucky!" Steve screamed.

Bucky screamed in Steve's head but he was nowhere to be seen. The feeling of his best friend dying in his mind paralyzed Steve. Bucky's screams got weaker. His vision got dimmer. Steve desperately tried to chase Bucky through their minds. Steve would stick his hand out for Bucky to grab. Bucky scrambled to reach out to Steve's consciousness. To be caught. To stay alive. His grip was too weak. He fell.

Steve felt Bucky die just before the connection between the two was severed. He clutched his head screaming. His mind was too big to inhabit by himself, without Bucky.

"Howler. Come in Howler. Goddam it somebody tell me—"

The comlink went out again.

Steve let out a tortured grunt as he hauled himself, and the Howling Commando, to their feet. He whirled around, looking for the monster who had killed his friend. It laid a hundred feet away. Dead. Killing Bucky had simply been the final act in its elaborate death throes.

Steve walked Howler over to it, already feeling the strain of operating the Jaeger alone. He kicked it. Again. And again. And again, tears streaming down his face. No revenge. No justice. Just a dead animal and a dead man.

He heard Bucky's voice in his head. Not his real voice. He'd never hear that again. Just a pale imitation. "Steve. Leave it. It's over."

Steve wiped the tears from his face. He turned toward Anchorage. And walked.


	2. Chapter 2

Ch. 2

2025-Long Beach California

Steve ate dinner in the mess hall of the Long Beach Shield helicarrier. The meals were nothing to write home about but they filled the tanks. They were better than what he'd got growing up in Brooklyn to be honest.

Steve's friend and co-pilot Tony Stark sat down next to him, smashing his shoulder into Steve's. Juice from his green beans sloshed onto his mashed potatoes.

"Come on." Steve said. "These are ruined now."

"Then give 'em to me." Tony said lightly.

Steve sighed and scooped the infected potatoes onto Tony's tray. Before Tony even got a chance to take a bite the intercom above them crackled to life. "Attention: Avenger, Budapest, and Asgard report to the bridge immediately. That is all.

Steve stood up. Tony shrugged and ate some of his food.

"Stark. Let's go." Steve said.

"Fury will keep." Tony said. "I need brain food."

Steve grabbed Tony's arm. "Eat and walk." He said.

"Oh Steve, I love it when you take charge." Tony said, fluttering his eyelashes.

Minutes later, Tony insisted on changing into a fresh shirt first, Tony and Steve arrived on the bridge of the helicarrier. Clint Barton and Natasha Romanov, pilots of the Budapest, and Thor and Loki Odinson, pilots of Asgard, were already waiting alongside Nick Fury and Dr. Bruce Banner.

"Nice of you to join us." Director Fury said. His gaze slid over Steve and locked on Tony. He knew who was responsible for the team's tardiness. "Are AC/DC shirts standard issue now Mr. Stark?"

"I did a study." Tony said. "Drift compatibility with Rogers goes up 10% when I wear this shirt. He loves AC/DC."

"No I don't." Steve said.

"No you don't." Tony agreed. "But if you had any taste you would."

"Avenger! If we could focus." Fury said.

Steve straightened his already ramrod straight back. "Yes, sir."

Tony clicked his heels together and snapped off a picture perfect, if entirely sarcastic, salute. Then went back to the slouch he adopted whenever Fury was near.

"I'll give Dr. Banner the floor." Fury said.

Dr. Banner stepped forward and pulled up a holographic screen in front of him with a few gestures.

"I've been working with Dr. Foster for a few weeks now and we have come to a…dark conclusion. The breach is widening. We can expect the Kaiju to enter our plane at a faster and faster rate. I understand Hong Kong is working on a way to close the breach but-

"Until then, the name of the game is defense." Fury interrupted. "So no more solo missions. All Jaegers will operate in pairs. The teams will train together and will work exclusively with one another.

The pilots nodded.

"Budapest and Asgard will work together." Fury said.

"What does that mean for us?" Tony said. "Why can't we rotate? Is Avenger grounded?"

"Patience Mr. Stark. We have a teammate for Avenger. A transfer. From Russia. Asgard and Budapest, you are dismissed." Fury said.

Tony waited until the others had left before he launched his barrage of questions. "What's his name?"

"The Winter Soldier." Fury said.

"What are the pilots' names?" Steve said.

"He prefers to keep that private." Fury said.

"What about the other one?" Tony said.

"There is no other one." Fury said.

"Ok." Tony said. "I'll line up some trials and we'll find him a partner." He pulled out a tablet of his own design and started working up a schedule.

"That won't be necessary." Fury said.

"Director Fury. Stop-I mean, please stop being so cryptic. What's going on?" Steve said.

"The Winter Soldier has one operator. He works alone." Fury said.

"That isn't possible." Steve said.

You and I know better than most that it is possible." Fury said. He tapped his eyepatch.

"Not for extended missions." Steve said. "I didn't wake up for two weeks after Bu-Alaska. And that was just walking."

"I don't know what to tell you Rogers." Fury said.

"I can work with him. We can find him someone." Steve said.

"He isn't drift compatible with anyone." Fury said. "You want to see his past partners? Catatonic in wards across Russia."

"This is barbaric." Steve said, his perfect military posture growing more and more tense. His fists clenched and red bloomed across his cheeks. He was slow to anger, but was very bad at hiding it once he was. "He should be a technician or a training officer. He shouldn't be in the field."

"It's out of my hands rogers." Fury said.

"Director F-"

"This conversation is closed." Fury said.

"I've gotta meet this guy." Tony said. "Figure out how he doesn't fry his brain."

"He isn't a science experiment Tony." Steve said.

"In any case you won't meet him until tomorrow for training." Fury said.

"Why not?" Tony said.

"He's kept in cryo between missions. So he doesn't…fry his brain." Fury said, looking at Tony disdainfully.

Fury walked toward the exit. Steve remained at attention. Tony slouched a little less than usual. Fury tossed his next word over his shoulder as he left the bridge.

"Dismissed."


	3. Chapter 3

The next morning Steve and Tony met Fury and Pierce, the Winter Soldier's handler, on the bridge.

"So where is he?" Tony said, rubbing his hands together in actual glee. Steve made a mental note to hit him later. "Is he late? I thought Russians were big on punctuality."

"He's already in his jaeger." Pierce said. "And you're wrong Mr. Stark, Russians don't value punctuality. They value earliness."

Tony shook out his hand like he had just touched a live burner. "Yow, snap. Good one director Pierce." He dragged out the r in director too long. The way he did when he was feeling arch and perhaps a bit suspicious.

Steve knew Tony was a good judge of character when he bothered to pay attention to someone besides himself and he was certainly paying attention to Pierce. Steve would know Tony's thoughts on Pierce soon enough, once they initiated the neural handshake.

"Director Pierce." Steve started then stopped, turning bright red, he wasn't afraid to challenge authority but he also wanted to show the proper respect. His next statement could be construed as going around or over Fury.

"What is it soldier?" Pierce said.

"Are we sure that this is the best idea? Having a pilot drive a jaeger solo? I've done it sir, and well it doesn't feel great."

"I understand your concern but the Winter Soldier has completed twenty three successful missions in Russia."

"With all due respect sir, this isn't Russia. We have other pilots. Why not switch him to trainer or-"

"No one else knows how to drive this model of jaeger Captain Rogers. It is a first generation." Pierce said.

"I could do it. My first jaeger was the same-"

"Coma , Steve, coma." Tony said.

"Well shouldn't we at least try?" Steve demanded.

"Rogers, I'm not risking one of my most valuable assets to make someone else more comfortable." Fury said. "Get in your damn jaeger. The breach is widening and I'm running out of ways to say this conversation is over."

"Yes, sir." Steve said, his jaw set and his lips in a hard thin line.

Steve and Tony climbed into their jaeger. Dr. Banner initiated the neural handshake. A flurry of images flew back and forth between the two pilots. Steve saw Tony growing up alone in a large cold house, losing his father and mother as a teenager, getting kidnapped by terrorists and building a small jaeger prototype to escape. Tony saw Steve struggling to breathe in the night, getting rejected from the jaeger program for being too small, taking a black market drug made from synthesized kaiju pituitary glands that cured his asthma and made him grow about six inches taller. Steve saw Tony betrayed by one of his oldest friends. Tony, of course, saw Bucky.

"Why are the bad memories always the ones that stick out the most?" Tony said. He hopped on the comlink. "Why don't you work on that Banner? How about instead of seeing something sad like Rogers getting laid for the first time we see something happy, like me getting laid for the first time."

The static of a long-suffering sigh filled Tony and Steve's ears. "Neural handshake complete." Banner said.

"Avenger to Winter Soldier. Come in?" Steve said.

"Copy, Avenger." A flat affectless voice said over the comm.

"Ready to kick the tires and light some fires?" Tony said.

"Awaiting orders." Winter Soldier said.

"Avenger and Winter Soldier initiate sparring protocol J." Pierce said.

The Winter Soldier jaeger immediately dropped into a defensive position.

"Keep in mind we're looking for you two to be on the same page, not who can win." Fury said. "And Stark, so help me if you break anything, I'm going to-"

Tony muted Fury before he could finish his undoubtedly colorful threat. "Ready to see what makes this guy tick?" Tony said.

Avenger rushed Winter Soldier. Winter Soldier deftly avoided Avenger's attack.

"He's pretty good." Steve said.

"Yeah, but not as good as us." Tony said. Together they initiated a monster haymaker. Winter Soldier turned just in time and caught their jaeger's fist. He twisted the arm of their jaeger and nearly had them in an armbar. They managed to escape but the advantage had certainly gone to the Winter Soldier. They launched another attack, this time a punch assisted by rockets. Winter Soldier deflected the blow and drove the Avenger to its knees. The Avenger tried to rise, but the Winter Soldier was not letting up.

"Avenger to Winter Soldier, we get it, you're the big dog. Let us up. Time for round two." Tony said over the comm.

No response from Winter Soldier.

"Avenger to Winter Soldier. Look Boris, we've got a lot of stuff to get through. Enough with the power games." Tony said.

Winter Soldier's grip tightened on the neck of the Avenger. The metal groaned from the pressure. Rivets popped.

"Fury, tell Vlad here to lay off or Happy's gonna be making repairs all night." Tony said.

"Winter Soldier stand down." Fury said over the comm.

Winter Soldier's grip grew tighter. Dents in the metal began to form. Metal plates split apart.

"Something's wrong Fury." Steve said. "He isn't responding. He's chasing the rabbit."

Metal fingers poked through the base of the Avenger. Tony and Steve struggled to break the grip the Winter Soldier had on them.

"Shut it down Fury." Steve shouted. "Shut it down now!"

The Avenger's cabin grew smaller as Winter Soldier crushed it.

"We're shutting him down. We need time." Fury said.

"Well shag ass." Tony said. "We're running a little low on time."

The sound of crunching metal drew Steve to another time. Another place

"Don't go there Steve. I need you here!" Tony screamed. They activated their plasma cannon and directed it toward the ground. They fired it and the energy managed to blow the Avenger out of the Winter Soldier's grasp.

The Avenger was laid out flat in the water a couple hundred yards away from the Winter Soldier. The Winter Soldier took two steps toward them, then collapsed to its knees. Shut down.

Twenty minutes later Steve and Tony were drying their hair off with towels in Fury's office.

"What in the pluperfect hell was that?" Tony said, his black hair looking even more manic than usual.

"Something must have set him off." Fury said.

"Like what?" Tony said.

"Maybe your fighting style, or your voice. It's certainly been known to set me off." Fury said.

"Hilarious, Fury. We almost got killed out there." Tony said.

"We're okay Tony." Steve said.

"Yeah. Barely." Tony said. "We're not working with that maniac. No way."

"I will make that decision, Stark." Fury said. "You will not be working with that maniac again."

"He just needs someone to keep him from chasing the rabbit." Steve murmured.

"What?" Fury said.

"The Winter Soldier. He just needs help. We've gotta find him someone Director Fury. You just can't do it on your own. I wanna talk to him."

"Out of the question." Fury said. "The Winter Soldier has had a mindwipe and is back in cryo until we figure out his next assignment."

"Whoa whoa whoa, mindwipe?" Tony said.

"Director Pierce feels that because the Winter Soldier works alone it would be best if his performance was not hindered by memories."

"Seems like it's working like a charm." Tony said.

"I never said I agreed with it." Fury said. "You're dismissed. We'll find you a new team."

Steve and Tony step into the hall.

"I don't need a neural handshake to see what you're thinking" Tony said. "Breaking into a cryo chamber? Please say we're breaking into a cryo chamber."

"We're breaking into a cryo chamber." Steve said.


End file.
